Robin Who?

Because I'm writing this blog for a class in my University, I'm assuming that not many of my readers know that there is more than one Robin. It is a standard canon in the comics that almost every comic geek knows, but nobody outside the Batman fandom understands. I once tried to explain to my family and two of my roommates that there were actually multiple Robins, and since I will most likely be referring to them in my blog, I should explain who they are.

The first Robin is the one that everyone is familiar with, Dick Grayson. Usually when people picture the boy wonder, it is the original one.  If you watched the (horrible) movie, Batman and Robin, the one starring George Clooney, you know that Dick's parents were killed while performing in a circus act, leaving him as the only surviving Flying Grayson. However, what you probably don't know is that the Grayson's were killed a relatively unknown criminal called Tony Zucco. Bruce Wayne was in attendance to the Grayson's performance and took pity on the young boy, seeing himself and in the recently orphaned Dick. Bruce became Dick's guardian and while he never formally adopted Dick, the two had father/son relationship. Dick became the first Robin, keeping up with Batman by using his acrobatic skills that he had learned in the circus from his parents. He eventually went his separate way from Batman, tiring of the hero's closed heart. He then became Nightwing, the name he still uses to this day and is one of the most respected heroes in the DC universe. However, he did have a stint as Batman when Bruce was stuck in the past. Dick's story as Batman is regarded as one of the greatest Batman arcs of all time, and he was respected as Batman just as much as Bruce was.

After Dick went on to become Nightwing, the position of Robin was open. Jason Todd became the next boy wonder. He was found slashing the tires of Bruce's limo and admitted that he was an orphan and was living on the streets. Bruce took him in and trained Jason to aim his mischievous nature into a source of good. Jason was  a natural at fighting on the streets, but was always a little too eager for his own good. He was later kidnapped by the Joker who beat him to death, leading Batman to mourn for his loss for a very long time. The death of Jason Todd was actually a fan-voted occurrence but it is believed that one person called in over 90 times in order to have Jason die. Jason later came back to life (due to several circumstances that I will no name here) but did not return to Bruce as Robin but instead became the anti-hero known as the Red Hood. Unlike Robin, the Red Hood used guns and killed any enemies in his way, and often was featured as the villain in several comics. He is still around today, fighting enemies in his own way and trying to forget everything kind Bruce ever did for him, for he still blames Bruce for his death to this day.

The third Robin (and my personal favorite) is Tim Drake. Tim is actually and oddity among the Robins because he was not an orphan, not poor. His parents were very wealthy, and Tim was very smart, a genius of a boy. Using his own detective skills, he discovered the identity of Batman as Bruce Wayne and showed up to confront the man. When Tim's mother ended up in the hospital in a comatose state, Tim asked to become the next Robin. Bruce refused at first, Jason's death too fresh in his mind, but after some persuasion by Alfred, Bruce welcomed Tim into the Batman family. Tim's life is tragic at best, after his mother went comatose, she soon died and the Drake fortune ran out. Tim's father was then later murdered by Captain Boomerang, a Flash villain. Bruce eventually formally adopted Tim and is the only Robin to have this honor. When Batman died several years later, Tim was the only one to believe that he was not actually dead. He was furious when nobody believed him and revoked his title as Robin and took up the mantel of Red Robin and went on the hunt for Bruce Wayne and is mostly responsible for Batman's escape from death. He uses his genius level intellect to lead the current Teen Titans, but is always there when Batman need him.

The next Robin is the Robin that almost nobody knows about, and the only female to ever have the title of Robin. Stephanie Brown was the daughter of a big time crime lord and, knowing that what her father was doing was wrong, decided to become a hero in her own right, known as the Spoiler. In her public life, she went to high school with Tim and they eventually started to date, though neither knew that the other was a super hero. The Spoiler wore a mask that obscured her entire face and it wasn't until much later that Stephanie's identity was revealed. She also confided in Tim that she was actually pregnant from her last boyfriend, and her pregnancy story line is hailed as one of the best Robin stories ever written. She takes up the mantel of Robin when Tim leaves the position in order to be closer to his dad (before Mr. Drake was murdered). Bruce wasn't sure of the decision but allowed it, telling her that the first moment she did not listen to an order, she was fired. This of course happened, but Stephanie decided to go out as Robin on her own, investigating a gang war and subsequently getting herself killed in the process. It is later revealed that her death was a ruse in order to protect her form further harm by the gang, and she had actually traveled to Africa with a friend of Bruce's names Leslie. She has since returned and become the new Batgirl, having taken over for the previous Batgirl, Cassandra Cain.

And last but definitely not least, is the final Robin, Damian Wayne. Yes you read that right, he is the son of Bruce Wayne. His mother? Talia Al'Ghul. If that name means nothing to you it means you need to go back and watch Batman Begins! In the comics, Ras Al'Ghul is perhaps one of the biggest if not THE biggest crime lord in the world. His daughter Talia fell in love with Bruce and while the two could never actually be together they did produce a son, Damian. Bruce was unaware of the boy for Ras had taken him and raised him to be one of the most dangerous killers in the world. It was not until Damian was ten that Talia brought him to America and introduced him to his father that Bruce finally met his own son. At this time, Tim was still Robin, having taken back the title after Stephanie's death. Bruce took Damian home, away from the bad influences of Talia and Ras, and Tim resented this. Damian was a cruel killer who thought nothing like his father, but when Bruce died Damian reveals that he respected his father, and soon became Robin along side Dick as Batman. It was then that Tim became Red Robin and left in search of Bruce. Dick slowly but surely taught Damian that killing was not always the only option and by the time Bruce had returned, Damian had come into his own. Initially a despised character by many fans, he now tends to be a fan favorite for it is recognized that all Damian every really wanted was the respect of his father and to be recognized as the son of the Bat.

Why Do We Love Batman?

Why do we love Batman?A good question right? The link above leads to an article from IGN which writes about why America loves Batman so much. I definitely recommend that you read the article, it's really a great summary of what it is about Batman that captivates a whole nation. However, even before I read the article I had my own ideas about why Batman was so popular, most of which were listed. So, here are my reasons why Batman is so popular in America.

1.) Besides Superman, Batman is the original superhero. Before Marvel comics even existed, Batman was fighting crime, trying to keep Gotham City safe from the evil that lead to his parent's deaths. In fact, Batman only was first published a year after Superman was, first appearing in Detective Comics #27, all the way back in 1939. Marvel started publishing their first comics in the same year, but their superheroes never really made any impact until Stan Lee started writing for them in the 1960s. Batman has been there from the very beginning, delighting comic readers all over America since the 1930s.

2.) Batman has an amazing code of "no killing, no matter what the circumstances are." No matter the villain, no matter the crime, the Bats refuses to kill anyone. While this was not true when Batman was first published (he killed the criminal he was chasing after in his very first appearance), the Batman that everyone knows today is often associated with his "no killing" policy. This gives him a sense of ultimate heroism. He is a hero that anyone can look up to.

3.) He's versatile. Batman can be written is so many different ways, fit into any type of comic be it Detective, Horror, or even Supernatural. He can appeal to any number of readers because of the sheer number of genres he has been written into. While Batman is strictly a genius human, he has gone on Supernatural adventures, traveled back in time, and dealt with alien creatures. Nothing is out of a writer's grasp for this hero.

4.) As mentioned above, Batman is completely and 100% human. His alter ego, Bruce Wayne, is an average man (minus the whole billionaire thing). He has no superpowers, like the Flash who is human but gained super speed, or the Green Lantern who acquires powers from an alien ring. Batman relies solely on gadgets that he invents himself, his butler, Alfred Pennyworth, and one of his dozen sidekicks, whether it be Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl etc. In fact, in the original Justice League, he was the only one to be completely human and have no powers or enhancements. This captivates audiences to see a normal man go through things that Superman has trouble with.

5.) On that note, he can go toe to toe with Superman. And I don't care what anyone says, he would win. Batman ALWAYS has kryptonite on him. Always.

6.) His franchise has always been escalated further than any other superheroes' has. Adam West's portrayal of Batman started it all, and the obsession with Batman and Hollywood has always been a big thing in America. With the Tim Burton movies, the Bruce Timm animated series, and now the Christopher Nolan trilogy, Batman has never been more popular for audiences to view on the television. Not to mention the multiple shows that have aired on TV over the last decade.

7.) The first reason given in the article from IGN is that Batman is and always will be, a complete badass. While not a completely in depth reason, it is perhaps one of the greatest reasons. Batman is able to overcome anything that stands in his way, and has always been at the crux of the defeat of one villain or another. Usually, when a huge crisis is presented, Batman is the one to be a critical part of bringing that crisis to an end.

I could probably go on for a while, but I thought that these were the best reasons why people love Batman so much. Have any reasons of your own? Everyone has their own personal reasons to love Batman. The list is never ending.

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to my blog!
Generally when I don't know what to do a project on, write about, or do with a class assignment, I go to my roommates for help. And then my roommates just tell me to write about Batman, so it was pointless to ask to begin with but the encouragement helps. Basically, for this blog I will be writing about anything Batman. I willmost likley do reviews of any Batman comics that come out during the week, including comics such as Catwoman, Nightwing, Batwoman etc. However, I plan on writing facts about the franchise, analyzing older comics, and even writing about some of the philosophies Batman has. I know way too much about the universe, it's time to share it!